ECB National Club Championship final: Knight prepares his troops with Ormskirk 80 overs from immortality

Ormskirk celebrate winning the Love Lane Liverpool Competition title

“It will be a great day in the history of Ormskirk Cricket Club – but it could be the greatest.”

Gary Knight has learned a lot in his five years as captain, including apparently how to write a killer intro to a cup final preview.

Maybe winning the Love Lane Liverpool Competition every year is getting old, and he’s setting his sights on adding a few cricket journalism awards to the trophy cabinet. 

Or maybe he should stay in his lane – he is, after all, clearly very good at winning cricket matches.

Knight and his men travel to Lord’s knowing they are potentially 80 overs away from immortality as the first Comp side ever to win the ECB National Club Championship.

Penzance, in their first such final, will be tough opponents.

But Knight believes his class of 2025 have improved on previous years and are ready to take on whatever Saturday brings.

“We’ve got so many different ways to win games at the moment,” he said.

“We’re not one-dimensional. I think that’s ultimately why we’ve been so successful in league cricket. We can win games in different ways. 

“It’s one of the most satisfying things as a captain, I think, that we’ve got better each year, and that’s ultimately led us into a national final and winning the league again.”

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Lord’s makes it all the more special – for all us northern cricket fans may sneer at the term, the Home of Cricket does have a mystique all of its own.

Knight said: “I think if we were playing at Worcester or Derby or Essex, like we were in 2017, it would be all about winning.

“And yes, we will be putting everything on the line to win, but at the same time, the reward of being at Lord’s and seeing all of our volunteers and spectators who put so much effort into the club, I’ll take loads of pride in that. 

“All the little stories that come with it along the way, including all the 11 players that have been playing, we’ve all wanted to play at Lord’s since we were little kids. 

“It’s that sort of stuff that’s motivating me at the moment and getting me excited, rather than necessarily the cricket.

“I know that I will be switched on from 10 o’clock on Saturday morning, but I just want to take in the whole experience.”

That experience includes arriving a day early and netting on the famous Nursery Ground, which Knight hopes will settle a few of the pre-match butterflies.

He said: “I think if we were rocking up on the Saturday morning and first seeing Lord’s, I think it would be a bit of a sensory overload. 

“I’m actually really happy with the fact that we’re training on Friday just to get it out of our systems, get comfortable in the surroundings, and then once Saturday hits, we can fully get our heads on the game. 

“I don’t like saying it’s just another game because it’s not, but at the same time, we can fall back into our experiences of how we’ve done well in the past and hopefully produce our best performance.

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“I’m really conscious to drag it out as long as possible because Saturday’s going to go within the blink of an eye.”

Knight is proud of the way his side have evolved over his time in charge.

In particular, this year has been notable for a big improvement to their batting, without any additions being made to the regular 1st XI.

Last year, their batters averaged 40.01 across the league season and their bowlers 10.59 – this summer has been drier and better for batting, but the batters’ average has risen by 18.29 compared with the bowlers’ increase of 8.50.

The highest total Ormskirk posted in the league in 2024 was 263/4; this year, they have topped that eight times, including a run of five in six games through August and early September.

They have passed the maximum points mark of 220 on 14 occasions out of a possible 21; last year it was five out of 22.

Conditions can account for a lot of this – earlier declarations when there’s weather about, smaller targets to chase. 

But Knight reckons there has been a tangible chase in his batters’ mindset, which in turn has helped them get this far in the National.

He said: “We’re sort of coming into some days with a really aggressive mindset, a really proactive mindset, and I think that’s paid off.

“About 10 or 12 weeks ago, I really noticed a mentality shift, and I think that’s what sets this team apart from previous Ormskirk teams. 

“I think our bowling has been good enough to get us to national finals, but as a batting group, I don’t think we’ve ever really backed it up. 

“Whereas now, I think our batting this year especially has just come on leaps and bounds in terms of mentality.”

There is even a hint of Bazball in Knight’s philosophy when it comes to putting pressure back on the bowlers.

“We might get out, yes, we might make mistakes, but there’s no fear,” he said. 

Ormskirk batting & bowling averages, 2024-2025

	2024	2025	Change
Batting average	40.01	58.30	+18.29
Bowling average	10.59	19.09	+8.50

“In the semi-final, I got out playing an aggressive shot, and looking back, I was disappointed with it, but then Sam Holden comes out and hits two sixes without even thinking about how I got out, and any fear or anything. 

“You can see the effect it has on opposition teams.

“When the next batsman comes out, Harvey Rankin, he plays a ridiculous scoop shot, for example, in that pressure situation. 

“I think those two moments highlight where our heads are at the moment with the bat.”

Bazball or no Bazball, Ormskirk will not be able to call on Tom Hartley and his release height for the final – the spinner is on England duty.

Seamer and Knight’s predecessor as captain, Nicky Caunce, will instead make one of his rare appearances for the side.

Knight said: “He has put his life and heart and soul into the club ever since he joined when he was a junior. 

“I’ve got no qualms in giving him the shirt, so to speak, because he fully deserves it. 

“He’s not played an awful lot of cricket in the last five years, but there’s not many people who deserve a day out at Lord’s more than Cauncey.”

from Merseyside Cricket Online https://ift.tt/AK7MEIv